This black & white film military training film “How to Get Killed in One Easy Lesson” was shown to infantry recruits during WWII. It is part of a series of “Fighting Men” films, designed to reinforce principles taught in field training. In this case, the film focuses on how careless behavior — leads to death. Copyright 1943.

Opening: Official Training Film – Fighting Men – How to get killed in one easy lesson

(:08-:35). American soldiers advance in a jungle, they crawl on their stomachs. An A Japanese enemy soldier fires his gun at him, misses, the G.I. retaliates and shoots the enemy. Another enemy soldier shoots at the American and misses, his gun jams. The American makes both men get out of their trees and he advances on them with his gun but they were made to throw theirs down. The American has his bayonet pointed at them. He is angry they killed his other men but the Japanese soldier explains the Americans ‘killed themselves’ (:36-3:24). The Japanese soldier explains they were careless. American soldiers go through water. Americans take cover coming up the hill. One of them pokes his head out and is shot by a Japanese soldier. The American falls back dead. The Japanese solider kills another American who hid alone behind a bush. The Japanese soldier waits for the American soldiers. A soldier waves a white flag and is killed, another has a shiny bayonet and gives his position away and is shot and killed (3:25-5:30). Another American runs, takes cover by jumping down into a dirt pit. Another soldier goes into the same pit and doesn’t advance, he pops up in the same spot and is shot dead. Two soldiers talk and give away their positions and one is shot. Another group are all bunched up together – they are blown up by a Japanese mortar and killed. They are strewn about. Another group of soldiers in the same ditch, they are all shot dead by a machine gunner who watched them (5:31-7:00). The American takes the two Japanese soldiers and leads them through the jungle at gunpoint. They run into other Americans who round up the enemy. The surveying soldier tells an MP (Military Policeman) that he will train other men to be better and give them a lesson on how to get killed (7:01-7:56). End credits (7:57-8:01).

We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com